Silius Italicus: Punica, Book 13: Edited with Introduction, Translation, and Commentary

Book 13 of Silius Italicus’ Punica marks an important turning point in this Latin epic poem on the Second Punic War. After twelve books of Carthaginian dominance, Rome begins to gain the upper hand. Following his failed attempt to attack Rome, Hannibal is devastated to learn that his role model Diomedes had provided Aeneas’ heirs with the protective talisman of the Palladium, and leaves for southern Italy. This allows the Romans to finish their siege of Capua, Hannibal’s rich ally in Italy, in punishment for its treachery; Capua’s fall marks the beginning of the end for Carthage. The book’s central theme of the anticipation of Rome’s destined victory is continued in the third and longest part of the book, where young Scipio, the future Africanus, ventures into the underworld, and into the depths of the rich poetic past, to be inspired by the shades he encounters and to define his own position as an epic hero.

This volume presents the first full-scale literary and linguistic analysis of the entirety of Punica 13, including the famous Nekyia episode. The notes, which cover matters of syntax, textual criticism, style, a selection of realia, and important verbal and conceptual parallels, are complemented with extended introductory paragraphs for each scene focusing on poetic models, themes, intertextual interpretation, and narrative structure. C. M. van der Keur’s General Introduction discusses the book against its Flavian background, its position within the epic and within the literary tradition, and Silius’ use of metre and verse composition. The Latin text is presented alongside an English translation.

C. M. van der Keur, Independent scholar

C. M. van der Keur studied classics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and obtained his PhD at the same university in 2015 with a commentary on Silius Italicus’ Punica 13. He taught Latin as a university lecturer in Amsterdam and Groningen from 2010 to 2021, and now works as an independent scholar. His research interests include Flavian epic, intertextuality, genre, and narrative structure. He has written a number of articles on Silius Italicus, Virgil, and Livy.